Joshua Kimmich sinks Borussia Dortmund in the top game against FC Bayern Munich and then declares the Bundesliga championship race to be over. It’s not the first time he’s struck in big moments.
It may have been the moment of the game, but Joshua Kimmich’s description of his goal to make it 3-2 in the 87th minute didn’t sound particularly spectacular. “I didn’t have many options left at that moment. I just concentrated on catching the ball properly and luckily it went in behind,” he shrugged, giving an insight into his thoughts in an interview on Sky television after the game.
Kimmich decides the “classic” and the championship
Kimmich didn’t decide just any Bundesliga match, but this one FC Bayern Munich away to Borussia Dortmund in an eventful duel to victory and in all probability also to the German championship.
His goal was appropriate for the occasion. He caught a blocked cross with his left foot. The ball flew past friend and foe in a beautiful curve and landed in the box, unstoppable for BVB keeper Gregor Kobel. Definitely a candidate for goal of the month.
Kimmich leads Bayern equalizer by Kane
But it wasn’t just his stroke of genius in the final phase that made Kimmich’s appearance in the “Klassiker” remarkable. Because his performance in the top game was something of a symbol of Kimmich, what happened before Background to Harry Kane’s next double pack became a side note.
Before the 3:2 he had already initiated the interim 1:1 by setting up Serge Gnabry perfectly in the penalty area with one of his patented chip balls. Gnabry headed to Kane, who equalized.
Championship race completed? Kimmich gets honest
Kimmich had already caught the eye with two long-range shots in the first half, which didn’t put Kobel in any serious trouble, but were at least an offensive sign of life for Bayern, who had their teeth cut on Dortmund’s defensive line in the first 45 minutes despite the visual preponderance. The message to teammates and opponents alike: We are here, we are dangerous.
Even after the final whistle, Kimmich led the way. While his teammates and superiors resorted to empty phrases when asked whether the championship had been decided, the 31-year-old showed a clear edge and said: “Now I think we have an eleven point lead. We won’t give that up again.” A refreshingly honest statement.
Kimmich breaks BVB hearts for the third time
It was not foreseeable before Saturday evening that Kimmich would move forward in this way. The previous week he had played against Eintracht Frankfurt (3:2) allowed another hair-raising mistake that once again put the secure victory in jeopardy shortly before the end.
But Kimmich stands for mentality. It’s not the first time he’s been there in important games. His 3-2 win was already his third winning goal against BVB. This makes the midfielder almost “Mr. Klassiker”. But the German national team captain isn’t just there when it’s against the biggest national competitor.
Kimmich is there in big moments
He was also there again and again in the Champions League. For example, against Real Madrid in the 2018 semi-finals, when he scored once in the first and second legs, but could not avert defeat against the Royals (1:2, 2:2).
Another occasion that Bayern fans would rather remember is the 2020 premier class final against Paris Saint-Germain (1-0). Although he didn’t score the winning goal himself, he set up Kingsley Coman’s celebrated header with a beautiful cross that decided the game.
Will Kimmich become the X factor for Bayern’s triple mission?
In modern German, players who tip the scales in big moments are often referred to as the X factor. Kimmich could play exactly the same role again this season. Finally, coach Vincent Kompany’s team is aiming for the third treble in FC Bayern’s club history after 2013 and 2020.
But the path to the Champions League is tough. After the impending hurdle of Atalanta Bergamo, either Real Madrid or Manchester City are waiting in the quarter-finals before a duel with PSG could take place. Teams that are quite capable of slowing down the record-breaking Bavarian offensive around Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz.
If the opposing defense lines concentrate on the trio, spaces can be created for other players. Then you have to be there. Like Kimmich against Dortmund.
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Source: BR24 Radio March 1, 2026 – 2:15 p.m
